The invention concerns pediatric patient care in general and specifically the care of a neonatal intensive care unit patient received in an incubator.
Infants born prematurely or otherwise in ill health frequently require special care (eg., intensive care) in a specialized neonatal nursery. One common form of treatment involves use of an apparatus referred to as an incubator, which is a form of controlled chamber for the care and protection of premature and sick infants. The chamber can be alternatively fully enclosed or partially protected, so as to control the environmental conditions (for example, temperature and sterility) of the infant patient.
An infant being treated in such an incubator may weigh only several pounds (or less), and may be only 18 inches long (or less). At the same time, the delicate infant must often be subjected to a variety of patient treatment devices, such as catheter tubes of various functions, feeding tubes, breathing tubes, and electrode lead lines of various monitoring devices. The tubing and lead lines operatively interconnected with the infant patient must often be taped or similarly secured in place, both as to the infant and in relation to the incubator chamber.
The chamber itself may typically be formed of Plexiglas or other transparent material, and includes relatively deep sides and possibly a closable lid. Within the incubator may be provided a basic mattress or padding, perhaps with a cloth covering or similar. Typically, no special arrangements are provided for support of the delicate infant since the incubator is to a large extent designed to meet the functionality criteria of providing a controlled environment for the patient while accommodating the sometimes considerable technical support for such patient. If a patient needs to be positioned (eg., head raised), a nurse or other caregiver might simply place a rolled or folded towel beneath the padding to raise one end of the infant support.
Heretofore, the number of patient positioning devices concerned with the specific needs of very young pediatric patients have, in general, been relatively limited as compared with the number of specialized patient care products available for other patients. One relatively recent example of a device specifically concerned with pediatric patients is found in an application commonly assigned with the present application, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/773,079, filed Oct. 7, 1991, presently allowed, for a design by inventor Mary E. Strickland entitled "Pediatric Body Cradle." In such design, a generally rectangular foam box with fixed sides is provided with one open end to facilitate receipt of a pediatric patient, with foam straps being drawn across the top of the device for protection of the patient.
Other specialized devices for infants or young children, covering from orthodontic cradleboards to baby changing mats and automobile sleepers to various foam mattresses and devices for support of other patients, have been known. The following patents provide examples thereof:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. INVENTOR TITLE ______________________________________ DES. 214,302 BARBER PILLOW DES. 276,938 PEDERSEN SURGICAL PILLOW 3,729,752 HUGGINS ORTHODONTIC CRADLEBOARD 3,742,528 MUNCH MATTRESS FOR INVALIDS 3,854,156 WILLIAMS PORTABLE BABY WARMING APPARATUS 4,024,861 VINCENT SPINAL SUPPORT 4,583,253 HALL BABY SLEEPER FOR AUTOMOBILES 4,686,725 MITCHELL MATTRESS CUSHION WITH SECUREMENT FEATURE 4,712,258 EVES BABY CHANGING MAT 4,726,087 SCHAEFER CONTOURED HEAD AND et al. NECK FOAM PILLOW 4,790,041 SHTULL PILLOW FOR RITUAL CIRCUMCISIONS AND METHOD 4,832,007 DAVIS, JR. TRACTION PILLOW AND et al. METHOD 4,862,538 SPANN et al. MULTI-SECTION MATTRESS OVERLAY FOR SYSTEM- ATIZED PRESSURE DISPERSION 4,901,387 LUKE MATTRESS OVERLAY WITH INDIVIDUAL FOAM SPRINGS 5,025,519 SPANN et al. MULTI-SECTION MATTRESS OVERLAY FOR SYSTEM- ATIZED PRESSURE DISPERSION ______________________________________
The disclosures of the foregoing patents and the referenced allowed application are fully incorporated herein by reference.